Pressure regulator for pneumatic tires



Sept 12, 1944. A; BoYNToN 2j,35-7,807

PRESSURE REGULATOR FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES Filed Aug. '27, 1941 5r F/'g./. Ww M Er omvfrs.

Patented Sept. 12, 1944 PRESSURE REGULATOR FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES Alexander Boynton, San Antonio, Tex. Appueatin August 27, 1941, serial No. 408,522

1 Claim.

My invention relates to pressure regulators.

The principal object is, to discharge a predetermined value of compressed air into pneumatic tires of automobiles, trucks, tractors, and aeroplanes.

Another object is to reduce the value of higher pressure fluid entering the regulator to predetermined lesser values discharged therefrom for all other purposes requiring such reduction.

I attain said objects by means of a pressure responsive element secured within the low pressure end of the regulator. Whenever a predetermined value of pressure uid obtains within the low pressure end of the regulator, a metallic bellows or other pressure responsive element will be compressed thereby and will move a valve to close the inlet from the source of high pressure fluid entering the low pressure end from 'which a constant predetermined lower value of pressure luid Will be discharged into a conduit leading into pneumatic tires or other places Where it may be desired to estab-lish a certain lesser value of pressure fluid than that obtaining in the source of supply. The value of the discharged fluid may be regulated by turning a handle which will move the valve relative to its seat, so that more or less pressure, as may be desired, will be required to close the Valve; all of which will appear more fully from the following specification and the accompanying drawing, in Which- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through an embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2. is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

In the drawing, a housing shell B5 is shown engaged threadedly with a bellows intake connection 62 having a tubular extension 62a to which is secured the intake nipple B4 having an air hose connection extension 64a.. The connection B2 also has an axial intake opening 62e having the valve seat 62d formed around its lower extremity. The bellows 6I is secured upon the connection 62 by the solder or weld Gla and is secured to the pressure indicator shell 5B by the solder or weld Gib. The latter shell has an internal boss 66C within which the enlarged portion of the valve adjusting rod 65 is engaged threadedly. The smaller end of this rod extends through the intake opening 62C and has the Valve 63 secured upon it in spaced relation to its seat 62d with which it is adapted to engage. The opening 62e has suicient clearance with the valve adjusting rod 65 to allow compressed air from the intake nipple 64 to enter the bellows, the extension 64a of the nipple 64 being adapted to have connection with a hose leading from the source of compressed air.

The larger-end of the rod 65 has slight clearance around it thro-ugh the upper portion of the external boss 65d upon which the packing B8 is compressed by the gland 61 which has threaded engagement with this boss and is rotatable over the rod. The annular chamber 66h provides housing room for the threaded portion of the rod 65 as the valve 63 is raised by rotating the handle 12 which is secured upon the rod by the nut 13.

The pressure indicator scale 66a, illustratively marked by lines numbered 5 to 50, will indicate the pressure obtaining within the bellows by causing these lines to register from time to time with the end of the shell in response to pressures varying' within the bellows. The lock ring 14 will secure the shell 60 in proper relation to the pressure indicator scale 66a. `The pressure gauge 58 will indicate the regulated pressure obtaining within the bellows. This gauge and the discharge tube 69 are secured to the connection 62 at opposite ends of the cross-bore B2b, the band 10 and the screws 'H serving to support the tube upon the bracket 60a of the shell 60 (see Fig, 29).

The old and well known discharge connection 59 is secured upon the discharge tube 69 for the purpose of discharging compressed air out of the regulator into pneumatictires in the conventional manner.

While I have shown the pressure gauge 58 and the pressure indicato-r scale 66a employed together in the same device, it is apparent that they may be employed separately, that is, one alone may be used to indicate the regulated pressure.

Operation The discharge connection 59 being attached to the valve of the tube to be inflated, compressed air from the supply hose connected to the extension 64a will enter the bellows via the intake opening 62e and will stretch the bellows until the valve 63 will engage its seat 62d at a predetermined Value of the compressed air within it.

It is apparent that turning the handle 'l2 so as to increase the distance between the valve 63 and its seat will increase the value of the regulated pressure, and that turning the handle in the opposite direction so as to decrease that distance will decrease the pressure force of the air discharged through the regulator.

Obviously a pressure indicator scale as shown at 66a in Fig. 1 may be stampedin reverse order of the numerals upon the rod 65, as indicated at 65a, the latter scale being so positioned upon the rod that the pressure at which the valve would close will be indicated by the number of the scale opposite the outer surface of the gland 6'! or, preferably an arm extending from the shell 66 should be provided to register with the scale upon the rod, because such arm would be immovable relative to the shell 66; whereas the gland 6'! is movable slightly relative to the latter shell on account of the compressibility of the packing 68. If the pressure indicator scale upon the rod be employed the scale 66a may be omitted from the construction shown or -both scales may be employed as a checking means, one against the other, for greater certainty in determining the exact pressure being maintained by the regulator at any particular setting or adjustment thereof.

It is, apparent that a diaphragm hermetically engaged with the housing shell 60 and transverse thereof could be employed to actuate the rod 65. Likewise a piston hermetically slidable in` the housing shell could be employed for the same purpose. The drawing is not incumbered by illustrations of such diaphragm and piston because both are considered to be full equivalents of the bellows means shown for actuating the valve.

The scope and purpose of this invention, as

illustrated and described, is not intended to be limited to the drawing which will be understood as being diagrammatic only and set out by way of example to explain and clarify the stated objects and appended claim.

I claim:

In a pressure regulator: an elongated shell open at one end; a tubular extension secured to the other end of said shell and having an intake end and having a partition which is provided with an intake opening, a cross bore communieating with said intake opening and a valve seat on its intake side; an intake nipple connected to the intake end of said extension; a bellows within said shell and having one of its ends hermetically connected to said extension; a pressure indicator shell hermetically secured to the other end of said bellows and having a bore provided with a threaded portion, said pressure indicator shell being in part located in said elongated shell and having a pressure indicating scale readable over the edge of the open end of said elongated shell; a rod having a threaded portion to engage with the threaded portion of said bore and extending through said bellows and said intake opening of said partition; a valve on said rod normally spaced from said valve seat; means to adjust said valve with respect to said valve seat; and a discharge tube one end of which is secured to said extension and communicates with the cross bore thereof.

ALEXANDER BOYNTON. 

